Team ENEOS Struggles to Break Top 32 at 2025 Formula DRIFT Seattle
It was shaping up to be another positive event at Round 6 of the 2025 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship at Evergreen Speedway, potentially a sixth consecutive podium finish for Team ENEOS. Fredric Aasbo looked to carry his momentum forward following his P2 finish in St Louis, while Odi Bakchis was eager to pull himself back into his winning ways after being eliminated early on in the Top 32.
For the first time this season, Bakchis found himself in the Seeding qualifying for the first time, and with the first 16 competition positions locked by ranking position from Round 5, the remaining spots would be determined by the Seeding Bracket results, where the drivers battled for ranking and points for the main event.
For each Seeing Bracket heat win, drivers received three points to help improve their Championship positions. Bakchis accumulated nine points for his second place finish with the Feal Suspension / GT Radial S14.9 after Branden Sorensen’s flawless run, coming out ahead of former teammate Simen Olsen, who finished third.
Qualified for P18, Bakchis faced Trenton Beechum in the Top 32, but during their battle, he misplaced his left foot that was intended for the clutch and pushed on the brake instead. “In a split second my weekend was over,” Odi said. “It was a rollercoaster ride battling through to the Seeding finals, and this happened right as I was getting more comfortable coming into the main competition.”
Team ENEOS teammate Aasbo didn’t fare any better during his battle against Daniel Stuke in the Top 32. The Norwegian Hammer caught his own tough break by mis-shifting, taking him out of the game much earlier than anyone anticipated. “It was a shame because we cleaned up some of our issues at this track from years past, but failed to deliver when it mattered most,” he said. “It’s not over yet, we have two more opportunities to make our move. One tough round doesn’t define a Championship.”
Following a tough Seattle round, Aasbo sits second in the overall standings with 180 points but is now 40 points behind James Deane, still within striking distance of the title. Bakchis drops to seventh place with 109 points.